Omaha daily bee., 1887-02-27

power and inspiration which he has
never before surpassed, perhaps never
before eQualed. The crchestration for
the tempest chorus. the chorus itself, the
brindisi and the duet parlanti or vocal
speaking, form one succession of sub
lime pages, rich, not alone in genius and
style, but fraught with that superior ex-
cellence of technique which the me
chanics hand, after years of practice
alone, knows how practically to set forth.
Verdi knows what the public wants; he
knows how to touch
THE PUBLIC HEART;
he knows every musical variety of light,
shade, and effect to the nicely of a hair,
and to the nicely of a halr weighs them.
Perhaps in "O.helo" he has shown less
respect for the feeling of the public than
ever before. Divine bars of melody are
cut by so.called philosophical breaks;
surprise follows delight, and incredulity
succeeds desire. Verdi has not sacrificed
Verdi rs he has so often done. Verdi re-
mains Verdi; an Italian and a composer
who, in spite of innovation, temptation,
and revolution in modern music, has
written a work intensely Italian, and an
opera which only an Italian could write.
| began by speaking of the first act, but
the same power and inspiration is visible
throughout the whole opera.
AS for a technical description of the
music, why need tell you that an ire
sistible torrent of chromatic scales and
groups of three and four describe the
tempest; that Iago sings a brindlsi in ID
minor, or Othello an air in A flat; that
Desdemona's s tears and laments flow IN z
natural with harp accompaniment, or
that Othellos rage and crime, again in A
fiat, are preceded by passage for the
con.re- basse unique in the philosophy of
musical composition? When i say that
from the beginning to the end Verdi has
written four acts of grand and eXtraor-
dinary music, you will know that vocaD-
ulary more or less of set phrases can no
more enhance the value of any opinion.
than it could depict your appreciation of
can adequately describe the ingenious
work; no words can portray the enthu-
siasm ii excited, nor the ovations it won
for its composer.
BLEATING TENOR
Tamagno, the tenor, looked and acted
OthellO, but he did not sing; he bleated.
Desdemona has never been favorite of
mine in history, and the present expo
nent of the role suggested to me all my
door of Brabantio's daughter. Niue.
Pantaleon is an excellent person, but as
Desdemona she ought to have been
smothered-the night before, at the dress
rehearsal. Her voice is naturally fine
and dramatic, but she has no more
knowledge of the pure art of singing
than l have of the real science of astro-
nomy. She has vile emission of voice
in the medium open notes; the upper
notes are clear, but rarely in tune. INC
lovely music assigned to Othello's wife
must have splendid resisting powers not
to nave iiiien iat IN her hands, or throat.
In appearance Nine. Pantaleoni is like
wise unfortunate; she is short, slightly
cross-eyed, and of a physical plainness,
which dwarfed the already insignificant
Desdemona. She acted very well in the
first and third acts, but not so we'll in the
last. OF the other singers let me say
that Pelsovtch, as Emilio was deserved
y h0oteG; Y. Fornari as Roderigo, was
not important enougi. 70 heln or hinder
the work; and NJ. Paroli as Cassie was
really fair second tenor; he, at least,
knew how to sing, but nature evidently
never intended him TO sing at La Scala.
The ovations to Verdi and B)ito
reached the climax of enthusiasm. Verdi
was presented with q silver album filled
with the autographs and cards of every
citizen in Milan. He was called out
twenty times, and at the last recalls hats
and handkerchiefs were waved, and the
audience rose in a body The emotion
was something indeScribable, and many
wept. Yerdi's carriage was dragged by
citizens to the hotel. He was toasted and
serenaded; and AT five in the morning
crowds were still singing and shrieking
Viva Verdi! Viva. Verdi! Who shall say
that this cry will not re-echO all over the
world: At seyenty-foar this second con
quer may well eNclalm Neni Yidi, yicil
BLANCHE ROOSEVELT,